Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis has revealed a soft spot for Cardiff City, admitting he would be disappointed to see them relegated from the Premier League.

The Welshman, who presided over a 1-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday to open a five-point gap between the Eagles and the Bluebirds.

Pulis said: “I watched Cardiff when I was a young boy and that was when John Toshack was playing with Ian Gibson in midfield.

“My dad once took me to Cardiff on a Tuesday evening to watch Real Madrid with 50 odd thousand people in the stadium."

He added: “I don’t want to see them go down at all. It was lovely to see Cardiff get promoted into the Premier League with Swansea last season.

“It was a really good year for Welsh football – I want it to thrive because I think it is good for the nation.”